Nine in The Afternoon
by Red Appassionata
Summary: Why didn't anyone believe him when he said he was only interested in Gajeel? "Because that smells like yaoi, and that's just not possible, Rogue." OC x Rogue
1. Chapter 1

JSAJSHGDJASHD why in the seven hells am I writing this when I have so much to do? *sighs*

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, only my OC.

* * *

A pair of milky white eyes stared at the road that led to the city of Crocas before its owner sighed quietly. Legs equally pale turned and started walking in the opposite direction of the colorful city.

Nobody had noticed her again. And honestly, she was perfectly fine with that. She had been living all of her 17 years in (almost) solitude, and it wasn't because of some tournament that she was going to change.

Gathering the fruits she had collected in her thin arms, she walked the all-too-familiar path to a small cottage she was currently living in.

Brushing her bare feet lightly against the rug before coming in the small building, she called out quietly, pupil-less eyes searching blindly for a blur.

"Porlyusica-san?" Her quiet voice rang throughout the room, but she heard no answer. Putting down the fruits on a nearby table, she felt her way around, only to be stopped by a voice on her left.

"Sophia." She whipped her head to the direction of the voice, but soon realized it was her mentor speaking with her through a lacrima.

"Porlyusica-san?" She tried again, and this time she was successful in getting an answer.

"Listen closely, child. One of the Fairy Tail brats got hurt, and I got called. I need you to bring me the third glass from the left that's in the shelf. Follow the main road, I'll be waiting for you at the end of the stairs that lead to the second floor on the stadium. And hurry up." Even though she couldn't see the lacrima go blank, she knew her teacher had switched off their connection.

Her long, dirty blonde hair reached her butt, as a few stubborn bangs refused to leave her forehead. But it didn't affect her at all, since she never saw anything with her eyes. She was born blind, and that was why she was abandoned when she was just a baby.

Porlyusica had taken pity on her and raised her, teaching her how to heal and how to see with her other senses. Being deprived of her vision, her other senses were above average to compensate for the lack of her eyes.

Sophia was a petite woman and wasn't exactly blesses by the gods with E cups, but what she could be proud of was her brain.

Everything that Grandine told her to learn, she had learnt with amazing speed. Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music and History were her favorite subjects.

She had also taken a liking to walking with no shoes, which hadn't pleased her mentor at all. But when she was with her feet bare, it was like she could feel the magic flowing through the earth, so her guardian chose to not dwell on the matter.

The white-eyed woman wasn't that much of an impressive mage, but she could control her magic extremely well. She hadn't had a need to use magic, so she never used it unless Porlyusica told her to.

Knowing she small cottage by heart, she swiftly went for the bottle her mentor mentioned, her short violet dress brushing against the numerous tables.

Placing the object in a small purse made of white cloth, she put the purse over her head (so it went from her shoulder diagonally to her hips) and made her way to the stadium.

Breathing in deeply as soon as she was out of the forest surrounding the city, she could hear people chatting excitedly, paying no mind to her. Walking as fast as she could without necessarily running, she knew where the stadium was because of the screams of the fans. Briefly, she wondered how one could yell that much without getting deaf.

Reaching the big construction, she was stopped at the entrance by two guards, who let her pass after seeing she was the blonde, blind woman who Porlyusica was waiting for.

"Second floor, was it?" She murmured quietly to herself as she counted mentally the flight of stairs. When she was halfway through, she felt a dark presence in front of her. Turning her head so said presence, she couldn't help the shudder that ran through her spine from the scary magic that came in her direction.

"Are you lost, miss?" A cold voice reached her ears as soon as she was right in front of the person. She shook her head slightly as she replied with her usual quiet voice.

"No sir, but thank you for asking. If you excuse me, I need to get going." Sophia didn't know who this person was, but she didn't want to stick around to figure it out. As she stepped around to continue on her way, the same voice spoke again.

"Well, that was rude. And here I was only trying to help a lost, little lamb." She almost snorted. Rude? Porlyusica had taught her to be anything but rude, and here was a complete stranger thinking she was stupid enough to be rude on a place where there only powerful mages.

"I'm sorry if I offended you sir, but I really need to get going. Farewell." She was about to take the last flight of stairs when a cold hand gripped her shoulder, hard.

"Sir-" Everything happened so fast that if her senses weren't so sensitive, she might've missed it.

As soon as the hand touched her, it was gone. Instead, a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders and brought her closer to a hard chest as a low growl came from her savior's throat. She felt the person lift her slightly from the ground and step back with her, while said person turned their back to the dark fellow.

"Scram, Raven Tail." A rough, deep voice came from the person holding her, and she looked up. She heard the other one leave until their steps faded. While there was noise, she lightly sniffed the air. She knew this smell, and yet she didn't. Suddenly, an imaginary light bulb went on over her head as she realized who it was.

"Gajeel?" (A/N: Betcha thought it was Rogue~ don't worry, he's just about to appear :3)

"You shouldn't be wandering these halls alone, you know. And how the hell do you know my name?" He let go of her and took a step closer. She could practically feel his tall from looming over hers, but she paid no mind to the intimidating aura he gave off and smiled a little.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember me. I went to the guild only once, after all. I'm Sophia, Porlyu-" She was interrupted by a big hand ruffling her hair as she protested quietly.

"I knew I recognized your smell, just didn't know from where. The old man will be happy to see you, y'know? Just a few days ago he was shrieking your name and how he missed you." If Sophia could see, she knew she'd see a grin on the Steel Dragon Slayer's face. Never had she seen it, but it was as easy as pie imagining it.

"I wouldn't doubt it. I trust Master Makarov and everyone are doing fine?" She smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, they're just fine. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm here to deliver something to Porlyusica-san, since one of your friends got hurt."

His eyes widened in realization as he nodded, but after remembering she couldn't see he took her wrist in his hand and started to guide (drag) her to where Wendy was.

"So you're here to help Wendy." The blonde struggled a little to keep up with his long strides, but soon enough found her pace.

"Y-Yes."

"What the hell have you been eating? You're even more tiny than the Little One! Y'know if you don't eat, you won't grow. If you'd like, I must have some really tasty-"

"Thank you Gajeel, but I eat just fine." She answered him with a laugh as he 'che'-ed and continued to drag her away.

Further back, a dark cape disappeared around the corner.

* * *

"Make sure you drink this every eight hours, without fail." She stood quietly in the corner as her mentor continued to give instructions to the injured young girl and her exceed.

"Yes. Thank you Grandine, Sophia-san." Her head snapped up at the mention of her name, and she smiled in the direction of the young Dragon Slayer.

"I already told you to stop calling me that!" Wendy and Sophia laughed quietly.

"Sophia. You can go home if you want, I'll go as soon as I finish packing here." She nodded and waved goodbye to Wendy and Charle and exited the room.

Once outside, she sighed quietly. Seeing as she wasn't used to being around people (or a large quantity of magic) she was quite tired, and thanked the heavens for her mentor noticing that.

Starting her way back, her footsteps barely made any sound as she walked through the quiet hall.

Again, halfway through the stairs the same cold voice from before spoke from behind her.

"Not with your bodyguard this time, Little Lamb?" The white-eyed girl turned her eyes to the voice that came from above her, also turning her back to the way she was supposed to go.

She said nothing as she heard the person come closer with slow movements. She could feel the cold coming in from waves as he circles her like a predator would.

Finally, he stopped in front of her and lifted her chin, making her pupil-less eyes stare blankly ahead.

"I wonder just what your relationship with Fairy Tail is. Maybe if I crush you slowly and painfully they'll come after me? Well, I really wonder about that. They are just a bunch of weak flies, there is no need to be scared, now there is?"

She refused to say anything or move at all as his ice breath fanned over her face. In all honesty, she was scared. Because she was alone, and she had forgotten to ask Gajeel who this freak was and she didn't know if she could defeat him with her poor magic and worst of all, she knew that if he did crush her Master Makarov would be beyond pissed, and go at full force against whatever guild this scary man belonged in.

And that wouldn't be nice at all, because she knew the Council wasn't very fond of Fairy Tail; it wasn't because they just returned that the elders would take it easy on them if they did cause a war between guilds.

She snapped out of her thoughts as she felt his face come closer to hers, all the while trying with all her might not to scream bloody murder and run away from there as fast as she could.

"Well then-"

"I suggest you let go of her, Raven Tail mage." She blinked owlishly as they were interrupted once again. The cold mage let go of her face, but instead gripped her head with his hand. And squeezed. Hard.

"Oh? I understand Fairy Tail meddling in our business, but Sabertooth? Really? I thought you guys hated those fairies the most."

'Sabertooth? Wasn't that the strongest guild in Fiore or something like that?'

'…Wait, doesn't that mean I'm in bigger trouble than before?'

While the blonde was lost in her thoughts, the new arrival narrowed their eyes, giving one final warning.

The blonde snapped out of her thoughts as the one next to her tsked and let her go. Just as she was about to turn around and run away, she was caught by surprise as a powerful fist sent her backwards with an unimaginable speed.

She felt the air leave her lungs as in that split second her hands reached blankly for something, _someone_.

Faster than anyone could've seen, a clothed hand grabbed her and pulled her closer to a warm chest (talk about déjà vu, she thought afterwards). Her hands grabbed whatever they could to hang on as she bit her lip to prevent from shrieking.

A second after she received the punch, she found herself cuddled in a man's arms, shielded from the world by a dark cape.

Did I mention she was wheezing and coughing like crazy?

Sophia put both hands on her chest as she tried to remember how to use her magic. Before she could do anything, she felt the pressure of the magic of the mage holding her. It was a threatening power, and she was glad she wasn't its' target.

Suddenly it stopped, and she could breathe normally.

Well, as normally as one can after being punched in the lungs.

"Don't move. It's fractured." A low, deep voice resonated from within the chest she had her cheek against and she couldn't help the small blush that crept over her face.

Again she put both her hands over her chest as she felt the damage. Two broken ribs only. Thankfully, the lungs were intact.

With half-lidded eyes she started to quickly heal herself, momentarily forgetting the position she was in. After a few instants, she blinked a few times and realized she could breathe normally.

Turning her eyes to what she believed was the face of her hero, she blushed again at their proximity.

"Thank you, uhm…" Her quiet voice was even quieter as her wish was to shrink at the man's obvious stare.

"Rogue."

"Thank you very much, Rogue-san-"

"Just Rogue is fine." She smiled a little at that. Somehow, this person reminded her of Gajeel.

She just didn't know why or how.

"Can you stand up?" She nodded as she gingerly pulled away from the mage and stood up on shaky legs.

Unbeknownst to her, Rogue watched her every move with vigilant eyes. This woman didn't seem to represent any danger, but still…

"I think I should-"

"How do you know Gajeel?" The sudden question made her blink owlishly a few times as she processed it.

"Um, well-" A growl from her stomach made her stop as she flushed a bright red. The Sabertooth mage arched an eyebrow amusedly as he watched her struggle with her flaming face.

"D-Do you mind if we go grab something to eat, real quick?"

* * *

Sophia gave out a long, content sigh as she finished her fifth piece of chocolate cake. Across from her, Rogue watched her with his elbow on the table, his cheek resting against the palm of his hand.

"…you sure eat a lot for someone so tiny." She gave out an embarrassed smile as she nodded.

"You wanted to know how I know Gajeel, am I correct?" The Shadow Dragon Slayer straightened up in his seat in the small café they were in to listen.

"Yes."

"I only went once to Fairy Tail, and that was when I was around 10 years old. At that time, their master had gone sick and I went with my guardian, Porlyusica, to help.

"Gajeel had just entered the guild, and everyone was wary of him. But I didn't sense any evil coming from him, so I went and sat right beside him.

"I felt as if everyone was even more on edge, but he just offered a piece of metal for me to eat. When I shook my head, he shrugged and turned back to eating. And he left me stay there, keeping him company.

"Because I did feel that he was lonely. Gajeel puts up a brave front but everyone gets lonely once in a while. I think you must be wondering why someone like him treated me with so much familiarity.

"It's because I was the first one, after Master Makarov, to reach out a hand to him."

After the blonde finished her little speech, she sat waiting for a reply of her companion. However, Rogue was lost in his thoughts.

What she told him did make sense. He could understand the need to protect her, even if it was coming from someone like the Steel Dragon Slayer. The woman _was_ tiny, and blind.

But this was Gajeel Redfox they were talking about. Merciless, ice-hearted, children-eater Gajeel Redfox.

He stole a quick glance at the woman in front of him. Just how powerful was she if she managed to turn the beast that was Gajeel into a much more sociable person?

"What's your name?" She didn't have the symbol of Fairy Tail on her body, which led him to believe that she wasn't part of the guild, officially.

"Sophia." His eyes narrowed. He was sure he'd heard the name before.

"Rogue, you are a Sabertooth mage, right?" He almost nodded, but stopped and said 'yes' quietly. Briefly, he looked at the twilight sky.

Sting would chew him off for being absent the whole day. Oh well.

"And you are a Dragon Slayer, yes?" After hearing his muted confirmation again, she grinned.

"Before, I wondered why you reminded me of Gajeel. You both seem a little dark at first, but looking underneath that shell of you both I can tell that is not true at all. It seems like you really admire him, and I believe that you're participating in this to fight him?"

Rogue looked at her with an unreadable expression as he let out a deep sigh.

"Yes, that is correct. How did you know?" She shrugged lightly.

"I don't know. Mostly because of the way you say his name." As if sensing his gaze, she smiled.

"I'm blind, Rogue. Because of this, I learnt to use my others senses. My hearing is quite good, you know."

He knew not to underestimate his opponents, but this woman was a completely different story. He realized she was one of those people who watched quietly the scene unfold, before stepping in and changing everything with just a few words. Those people, Rogue believed, were scarier than those who went head on on a battle, because you never knew what they were thinking.

"Rogue." The way she said his name somehow made him turn his full attention on the woman. She seemed hesitant? Cautious? Daring? He didn't know.

"I want to ask something." When she didn't hear anything from him, she went on. "But you'll have to promise me you won't get angry or leave."

He wanted to roll his eyes, but agreed anyway. Really, what could she possibly ask that'd made him want to leave this precious source of knowing Gajeel's strong and weak points-

"Are you in love with Gajeel?"

* * *

This was supposed to be a oneshot, but when I realized I'd written a lot and still wasn't finished, so I thought I'd stop here and see if it pleases the fans C;

So, what do you guys think will happen? :3


	2. Chapter 2

DID YOU GUYS SEE ROGUE'S SMILE IN THE LAST CHAPTER? AND HIS RAPE FACE OHMAIGOD DID YOU SEE IT? *squeals like a fangirl she is*

Death to Sabertooth's master, though. I already hate him -w-

Not to mention I'm starting to dislike Sting. Really. I hadn't imagined he could be such a bitch.

Rogue, on the other hand… S2 Please come spend the rest of your life with me-

Ahem.

Thank you very much for all the alerts and favorites, they make me really happy C:

**dotRHEA:** Thank you, I'm glad C: Also, thank you very much, I hadn't noticed that. I'll try to fix it, sorry if still confuses you. *-*

**hexgirl13:** I wonder about that~ You'll just have to stay tuned in and see for yourself :3 Thank you very much for your review and the favorite~

**LuckyandStars:** Thank you, I'm glad you liked it C:

**koori no hime:** Was it that unexpected? Cx And thank you, I try to keep them in character as much as possible.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, only my OC.

* * *

"Rogue! Come on, you said that you wouldn't get angry! Rogue~!" Sophia almost laughed out loud as she cautiously followed the Dragon Slayer. She knew he wouldn't be exactly pleased with the question, but she didn't expect him to abruptly leave the café like that.

"At least answer the question-" Suddenly she bumped into his chest , as he had stopped and turned around to face her. For once, she was glad she couldn't see, because she was sure that Rogue was glaring at her like there was no tomorrow.

"Ro-" He gripped her arms, and their faces were so close their breaths mingled. If the situation called for it, she would look like a tomato right now. But she could feel his anger coming in waves, and she almost gulped.

"I. Am. Not. In. Love. With. Gajeel." His voice came out in a low growl, and his eyes were narrowed. She could imagine pretty well his silently angered face.

"Okay, sorry Rogue. I didn't mean to mock you. I was simply curious. Let go of me, okay?" She was, by nature, a very calm and quiet person. So when those words calmly left her lips he let go of her quickly, as if his hands were burning.

He took a step back, closing his eyes. He breathed in deeply before opening his eyes again. Sophia hadn't moved at all, simply staring ahead of him with those pupil-less eyes.

The mage ran a hand through his ink black hair and sighed. He wasn't Sting to lose his temper like that, for God's sake. Glancing at her, he glared at the reddening hand prints he had left on her arms.

And yet she stood there, patiently waiting for him to compose himself.

He took a step towards her, so they were in the same position as when he'd gotten mad.

"I'm sorry." She could hear the regret and disappointment in himself in his voice, so she lightly shook her head and told him it was fine; she was in the wrong anyway.

"Does it hurt?" He lightly touched the now purple-ish bruises, almost cringing. That'd take days to heal.

"A little bit, but soon enough it'll heal. You'll see." The blonde surprised him when she grabbed his hand and smiled reassuringly at him.

"Let's go back; I'm not finished eating yet." She said with a laugh as she continued to drag him by the hand back to the café.

The mage silently looked at their hands and noticed that hers was smaller and very fragile compared to his. That made him squeeze slightly her hand, showing once again that he regretted what he did.

Sophia only squeezed his hand back and said nothing, a small smile on her lips.

* * *

"Thank you for accompanying me home, Rogue." Night had long fallen, and now the two were in front of the small cottage she shared with her teacher.

"Yeah." He replied quietly as he once again took a glance at her arms. Just as she'd said, they were almost healed by now.

"Good luck tomorrow." He turned to look at her smiling face, and his eyes softened a fraction.

"Yeah." He repeated. Briefly, he wondered why in the seven hells would Raven Tail be after her, just as a thought quickly crossed his mind. However, just as quickly as the idea of asking her to come see him came, it was gone. It was too much to ask of a stranger.

What was he thinking anyway? He had just met her. Besides, he was sure he'd be like that if it were any other girl. She was just a source of information on Gajeel.

Yes, that was it.

"Good night." She said as she smiled a final time to him and went inside. Rogue said nothing as he turned around and headed for the hotel his guild was staying in.

Inwardly, he narrowed his eyes.

The master of Sabertooth was going to have an audience.

* * *

"She left because she was weak, Rogue. We don't need weaklings in Sabertooth." Sting said as he brushed off what had just happened. Yukino was their comrade, and yet their master had humiliated her as if she weren't a part of their guild.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer had considered her a nakama, just as everyone else in the guild. He knew Master Gemma wasn't exactly an angel, but he couldn't help but feel that that had been too much.

"Fro is weak too. Will Fro have to leave guild?" He gave a small smile to exceed, trying to sound reassuring.

"Don't worry. Frosch won't leave Sabertooth. I'm with you, after all."

After that, he decided to take a walk to cool his head down.

Else he knew he'd rip someone's head off.

He stopped walking as he felt a presence behind him. Closing his eyes, he spoke without turning back.

"What do you want, Sting?" The White Dragon Slayer stopped a couple of feet behind his companion, his face a rare look of calm.

"Where were you the whole day?"

"Around."

"Let me ask around. Who were you with the whole day?" Rogue snapped his eyes open and cursed inwardly. He'd be damned if he involved her in his guild. Scarier than that, involved with Master Gemma.

"It's none of your business what I do, Sting. You're not my mother." Suddenly he was whipped around and met with the furious face of his teammate, being grabbed by the collar in the process.

"Don't fuck with me, Rogue. If you don't want to tell me, fine. But if you keep playing around with chicks like that, Yukino might not be the only one to leave the guild until the end of this competition." The dark-haired man slapped Sting's hand away, glaring at him with piercing crimson orbs.

He, however, said nothing as he turned his back and started to walk again. The blonde man growled and shouted a last time before he too turned around to leave.

"Fine, just keep on being the bastard that you are! But don't come crying to me when Raven Tail's killed your precious toy!"

Rogue's eyes widened as he whipped his head around, but Sting was nowhere to be found. Cursing under his breath, he started to run at full speed to the edge of the city, in the forest.

He thought about Sophia - little, fragile, so very breakable Sophia – in the hands of that disgusting Raven Tail Kurohebi and narrowed his eyes. Somehow, the thought made him run faster.

Why, he didn't know.

And honestly, he didn't give a shit at the moment.

As he neared the place where he had last seen her, he could see a figure standing and a bundle curled up in the ground.

_No._

Was he too late?

He gritted his teeth together as took one last push forward. Halting before the figures with a gush of wind, he stood surprised as he slowly surveyed the situation.

Standing before him was Sophia in one piece, safe and sound, save for a few scratches here and there. (Why in the seven fucks did he just sigh in relief? She was just an informant, why was he so worked up?) The bundle he recognized as the very same Kurohebi that had tried to attack her a third time now.

After seeing that he was unconscious, he went to stand right before her, just a step away. Only now he realized that she was shaking and her eyes were wide in fear.

"What? Who's there? Rogue, is that you?" Her voice shook slightly as she licked her dry lips.

"Yea-" Suddenly she hugged him, burying her face in the crock of his neck. Slowly, awkwardly, he put his arms around her.

He was Rogue Cheney. He just didn't do hugs.

Maybe only this once.

Noticing she was cold, he grabbed the edges of his cape and put his arms around her back, trying to warm the frantic girl up.

He didn't know what to do in this situation. Never he had the need to comfort a girl (Frosch didn't count), and now he was at a loss.

Even if he was uncomfortable, this wasn't necessarily bad. He decided that he kind of liked the feeling of having her safe in his arms.

Tentatively, he brushed her hair lightly with his fingers, waiting for her to calm down.

"Are you ok?" He quietly asked. When a few seconds passed, he wondered if she'd heard him and was about to repeat his question when she answered.

"Y-Yeah."

"Where's your teacher?"

"I-I don't know. She left a n-note telling she'd be late." He frowned at this.

"Rogue?"

"Hm?"

"Is he dead?" Once again she surprised him by asking something completely unexpected. The guy had tried to kill her and she wondered if he was dead? She really was something else, he decided.

"No." The dark-eyed man heard her sigh quietly as she shifted in a more comfortable position, not once letting go of him.

"What happened?"

"-"

"Slow down. Breathe."

"…"

"Try again."

"…Someone knocked on the door and I went to answer. As soon as I opened it, I had a hand in my throat and it got difficult to breathe. So then I panicked and next thing I knew the person was lying on the ground. I got scared and started to wonder if he was dead. And then you came."

He heard Sophia sigh shakily once she finished her story.

They stood there for a while, not moving from their spot. Both were comfortable by now, but were scared of how to act should they separate.

Sophia bit her lower lip as she wondered if she should ask him to stay. She was scared of being alone, and she didn't know what to do with the unconscious man. On the other hand, she only knew him for a day, and she could be imposing on him. Surely he had other things to do than comforting her.

She was terrified, though. The blonde didn't know what she had done to the poor man, for never had she had the need to defend herself like that. She always had Porlyusica by her side, and even then her mentor rarely felt the need to use her magic.

She squeezed her arms around his torso and hid completely her face from him. She was blind, but she didn't need eyes to realize that her face was completely red. She could only thanks whatever God there was for being dark.

"Rogue?"

"Hm?"

"…Will you stay?"

"…"

"Just for a little while. Please?"

He sighed inwardly. How could he refuse her when she asked him like that? Even though it was dark and she had her face hidden from him, he could see her ear reddening by the second.

"Of course."

* * *

Sorry this one's shorter, but I needed to write something after reading Fairy Tail's last chapter.

BECAUSE ROGUE JHSADGAJHSGDAJHSDG

Okay.

I don't know, maybe he's a little OOC in this one? Are things going too fast?

Review :3


	3. Important notice

Hey guys~

This is important, please read!

I want to ask if you guys want faster updates, but shorter chapters or slower updates and longer chapters.

My chapters, as some of you may know, are not shorter than 2000 words.

So, if you guys want faster updates, I'll write a chapter about 3-15 days after the release of the latest manga chapter.

NOTE: It may take even a month for me to write, but I will write it, no matter what. Believe it. I'm all fired up now that I've fallen in love with Rogue jshdgasjhd.

But if you want otherwise, I'll update every two manga releases and the words will vary from 2500 to 4000.

Also, I won't know what you think of the story so far if you don't review. I accept constructive criticism, and I don't bite via computer screen, so, yeah.

That doesn't mean I don't like all the alerts. I really love them 3

Thank you :3


	4. Chapter 3

Thank you all for the great support! I love you all C:

It's been decided that I'll update this story slower, but the chapters will be longer. I'll consider 2-3 chapters of the manga. Thank you for voting~

Some of you mentioned that Rogue and Sophia are suddenly very intimate and yeah. I thought so too, but I wrote it like that because I do believe in, well, not necessarily love at first sight, but hitting it off at first sight.

In my head, Sophia is someone who'd become close quickly with Rogue. Because she's tiny and fragile-looking, so he'd have the urge to satisfy his ego needs and protect her. At the same time, she's not a poor damsel in distress waiting patiently to be rescued by her knight in dark armor. She's smart, intelligent and stubborn, meaning she has the potential to get out of tricky situations by herself.

If that still confuses you, I'm sorry, and please tell me so I can fix it!

As for how calm she was when he hurt her, or how he thought he'd heard her name before, or how she defeated Kurohebi… well, you guys will just have to stay tuned to know, yes~?

Have you guys noticed Rogue's absence in the last few chapters of the manga? I wonder what he was doing C; *wink wink nudge nudge*

Also, I don't really like Minerva. I don't know what it is, but she's not exactly my definition of BFF. So I won't mention her much, you'll see. And also, if she does envolve herself with Sting or Rogue or anyone else for that matter (HGDAHJAGDHJASG I'LL KILL HER, ROGUE IS MY HUSBAND, THAT BITCH) I'll most likely ignore it. Yeah.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, only my OC.

* * *

Neither of them knew for how long they stayed in that position, but neither of them cared anyway. Being with one another gave them both a strange of security that was warm and comfy.

Suddenly she let go of him gently, and both instantly missed the warmth. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you, Rogue." He hummed lowly. She was still close to him, so she felt his chest vibrate slightly.

"And what do we do with him?" Sophia furrowed her eyebrows, and only then the dark mage noticed that they'd completely forgotten Kurohebi lying unconscious on the ground.

Rogue almost slapped his own forehead.

Sighing quietly, he moved to get the man and throw him over his shoulder, turning to Sophia once he was done.

"I'll drop him off at his hotel on my way back, don't worry." He saw her nod.

"You-"

"Rogue." He was about to tell her to go inside and activate a shield spell (never mind the fact he wasn't going to tell her the last part) when she interrupted him. She was using a similar tone when she'd asked if he was in love with Gajeel. The tone was guarded, cautious, but at the same time curious and bold.

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow Porlyusica-san will go to the stadium again, and she'll most likely tell me to go with her, given these last incidents. Um, do you mind if I go cheer for you?" She fidgeted with the hem of her short dress, and despite being blind, avoided his curious gaze.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. In all honesty, he was going to tell her to either stay with her guardian at all times or with him.

He just didn't want to leave her alone, that was all. She was important to Gajeel, and knew a lot about him. She was a precious informant. Yes, that was it.

Besides, there was something about her, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was strange, yet it called out to him like a lullaby.

"No, not at all."

The smile she gave him did _not_ make him embarrassed, he thought stubbornly as he almost stomped away from the small forest.

* * *

He couldn't believe his eyes.

As soon as he left the Raven Tail mage on the door of the hotel, he hurried back to his own hotel, not wanting to get a scolding from, well, anyone.

However, just as he stepped foot in the place he heard a commotion inside, and was alerted of an intruder. He went straight to Sting's room as Frosch joined his side, and hurried down.

The sight that greeted them was a very furious Natsu Dragneel kicking the hell out of the guild members, one after another, nonstop. Sting was anxious to fight the Fire Dragon Slayer just as was he, seeing as barely anything out of the Gajeel context didn't really concern him, but they didn't have any idea of how strong the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers were. He knew their guild was the strongest in Fiore, 7 years ago, but that power in front of him was close to the point of it being ridiculous.

The thought of defying his master was terryfing, simply because he was the strongest man Rogue had ever known. Then there was Natsu Dragneel, someone whose rage seemed to be giving Master Jiemma a hard time.

Then Minerva came, and things got calmer.

It was hard to believe that he got so worked up by the fact that Yukino was humiliated and forced to leave the guild. Sure the master was too harsh, but she wasn't even in the same guild. Heck, their guilds were practically rivals!

Soon enough the pink haired man left, leaving Sabertooth stunned. Briefly, he looked at a smirking Sting. Inwardly, he sighed.

Dealing with him would be a major pain in the ass.

* * *

It was the third and final day of the Grand Magic Tournament, and everyone was excited. As he headed for the spot his guild was in, he spotted a blur of dirty blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. Making a quick decision, he quietly told Orga to go on without him and left without giving the man a chance to reply.

Quickly, he made his way through the mass of people, cautiously avoiding bumping with anyone. After a little while, he could see Sophia's back further ahead. This time she was wearing a lively blue dress and had a pair black ballet flats on. The crimson eyed mage also noted that she was with her mentor, the pink haired woman called Porlyusica. Not only with her, but also with Fairy Tail's A team, speaking mainly with the Sky Dragon Slayer and the Stellar Spirit Mage.

He stood by a pillar, so the shadows easily concealed him. He decided it was best not to expose himself, since he knew his well-being would be in danger should he go and snatch away the blind girl.

Briefly scanning the arena, he easily spotted team Sabertooth on the other side. He saw Orga and Rufus talking, while Minerva stood impassive. Then he locked eyes with the White Dragon Slayer, who was glaring daggers at him. Sting's eyes screamed a silent 'what the fuck do you think you're doing?' but he chose to ignore it.

Instead, he turned his attention back to Fairy Tail's A team, who he noticed had gone back to their spot, while Sophia and her teacher were coming his way. He slowly came out of the shadows, thanking whatever God there was that the halls were less crowded and everyone had more or less gone their way.

Sophia had sensed him ages ago, and smiled a little when she first did. When Lucy asked her what she was smiling about, she lightly shook her head. Of course she knew she couldn't mention Rogue around them, Natsu would have a fit, considering he went to Sabertooth's hotel last night and all.

So she waited. Until they parted ways, she remained the same quiet and sweet Sophia she always was, but on the inside she was strangely excited. She liked being around the Shadow Dragon Slayer for reasons that were unknown to her. He made her feel safe, warm and, believe it or not, she was never bored when with him.

As she turned her back to Natsu and the others, she saw Rogue coming out of his hiding place, and smiled at him. He nodded at her in return before looking at her teacher.

Porlyusica too had sensed the mage long ago, and chose to look at him with vigilant eyes. She knew what her apprentice had been up to, and she couldn't say she was thrilled to have Sophia walk around with a Sabertooth mage.

But she didn't have the courage to stop them from seeing each other, since the blind girl was happy. However, as soon as the Shadow Dragon Slayer made her drop even if a single tear, there would be hell to pay. Oh yes, she'd make sure of that.

"Sabertooth mage. I see you know my apprentice." Rogue nodded, poker face on maximum mode.

"I do." He wondered if he should mention Raven Tail, knowing they had something to do with the incident involving the Sky Dragon Slayer.

Porlyusica narrowed her eyes, already profiling him in her head. She had heard stories about the young man in front of her, some more believable than others.

His name was Rogue Cheney, 17 years old. Slim built, but muscular underneath the armor. Slightly taller than your average man. Crimson eyes and hair dark as the night. Shadow Dragon Slayer of the third generation, meaning he was taught by a dragon and had lacrima-based magic. Not only that, but he also killed his own dragon.

If he had no problems killing a legendary being, what could possibly stop him from hurting Sophia?

"Sophia." She addressed her student without taking her eyes off him. The girl blinked owlishly and turned her head to her mentor.

"Yes?" Rogue wanted to cross his arms, but didn't want to have more of this woman's attention in him. Her eyes watched him as a hawk already. Porlyusica got a small bottle of some pink liquid out of her cape and gave it to Sophia.

"Take this to that kid Wendy. She forgot to take this." Sophia nodded despite knowing what was going on. As a matter of fact, the three of them knew exactly what the pink haired woman was doing. She'd tell the young woman to go somewhere else as smoothly as possible, so she could talk properly with the Sabertooh mage.

Strangely, the two youngsters thought that it seemed like they were seeking approval from the woman much like a boy would ask a girl's father for a date.

"Go straight for about 10 meters, then make a slight turn to the right. That's where they are." The blonde girl nodded again and muttered a 'be right back' before following her instructions. After she left, a pregnant silence involved the two mages until Porlyusica decide to break it.

"I am no fool, boy. I know you spent the day before with my student. Not only that, but you also went to see her during the night. Tell me, do you want to involve her in your guild's foolishness?"

"By no means I wish to involve her in my guild's affairs. My meeting with her was purely coincidental."

"Oh? Then you hugging each other was also a coincidence?"

"That was an incident with a Ravel Tail mage. I am sure you saw the unconscious mage lying on the ground. He tried to attack her, twice now. I was merely looking out for her."

"So you think you're some kind of hero. Listen, boy. Sophia may seem fragile and all, but I can assure you she is not a damsel in distress you need to rescue. She can perfectly take care of herself."

"I never said she couldn't."

The air around then was so thick you could cut it with a knife. In fact, you could almost see the sparks flying. One of them had yet to budge, and none of them wanted to be the first to do so.

Finally, she sighed heavily. The blind girl wouldn't take much longer to get back, so she figured she'd get straight to the point.

"You have guts boy, I'll give you that. For now, I will allow this. However, shall you make her shed a single tear, I'll personally make sure you live the rest of your life in complete misery. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes."

"Also, I am now entrusting her to you. I have some errands to do, and I can't leave that child alone. Make sure not even a hair of her is out of place when I come back in the evening."

How he wanted to snicker at her face and give her his best look of disdain. However, if he wanted to get more information on Fairy Tail peacefully, he'd have to swallow his pride for now. Sophia was his best source until now.

That's what he kept telling himself, anyway.

"Yes." Just then, the subject of their conversation came back, a bruise on her left knee visible.

"What happened?" Rogue and Porlyusica glanced at each other after having asking the question at the same time.

The girl smiled sheepishly and blushed a little.

"I fell." The mages sighed at the same time, again glancing at each other. The older woman shook her head.

"I will be going now. Sophia, take care until I come back." Said girl nodded as her teacher gave one final glance to the young man besides her and leave.

The pink haired woman couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as she walked away from the pair.

Sophia hadn't tripped since she was five years old.

* * *

"What did you two talk about?" As soon as Porlyusica was out of ear shot, the blonde girl didn't waste a breath and wanted to know all of the details of the previous conversation.

Somehow, Rogue managed to turn the conversation back to her bruising knee, which was almost nonexistent at that moment.

"Why do you heal so fast?" The girl shrugged her tiny shoulders.

"I wouldn't know. It's been like this ever since I can remember."

Before either of them could say anything, the pumpkin-headed fellow announced the first game of the day, which would be the Pandemonium.

Rogue took her hand in his bigger one, beginning to walk towards one of the stairs.

"Come; I know of a place where we can have a perfect view of the arena."

The girl hummed softly to show him she had heard him.

"Rogue?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" He almost turned to look at her with a bewildered expression, but then remembered she couldn't see him. Again this girl had left him speechless by asking something completely unexpected.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Natsu attacked your guild last night, didn't he?" Her voice had lowered considerably, since that was a fact only the involved guilds knew of.

They started to go up a flight of stairs when she fell in step besides him. They shoulders bumped occasionally, and never once they let go of each other's hands.

He hummed a confirmation, not really wanting to voice his dissatisfaction. The fact that a single man had defeated the majority of Fiore's strongest guild in a matter of minutes was bad enough, hearing it from her made it much worse.

"And, well, he caused a lot of damage, didn't he? I bet a lot of your guild mates were hurt, so I was wondering if you weren't also caught in-"

Suddenly he pulled her close to his chest, and in the blink of an eye he moved to stand by the shadows of the next flight of stairs. Hiding her face in the space between his shoulder and neck, he quickly told her to stay quiet and endure it just for a few instants.

Sophia couldn't help but notice that he smelled good. Not that she purposely sniffed him, but her current position left no other choice. Her arms were squished between their chests, while he had one arm tightly wrapped around her waist and the other in her head.

Muffled voices could be heard passing by them as they breathed slowly.

"Do you actually think I'd be defeated like that?" His almost mute voice surprised her, seeing as there were still a few people talking in the hallway.

"Um, well, not that you're not strong, I know that you are, but so is Natsu, and well, I was worried, and-"

"Sophia." The tone he used made her want to see his face. For the first time in a long while, she wanted to see. It almost never bothered her being blind, but the way his voice sounded just now left her imagining.

She turned her head to the left, where his voice came from. He too had turned to look at her pupil-less, milky white eyes, so their faces were so close their breaths mingled together.

"Yes?"

"I am the Shadow Dragon Slayer. I belong in Sabertooth, the strongest guild in Fiore. I killed my dragon parent, with my own two hands. I am strong, Sophia. There's no need for you to worry about me. Instead, you should worry about yourself."

She couldn't see it, but imagined that his face took a pained expression by the tone of his voice. Slowly, so as to not startle him and call unwanted attention to them, she wrapped her arms around his torso, squeezing him lightly.

"Is that why you've hidden us? Because you don't want to be seen with me?" She couldn't help but let slip that bit of sadness into her voice. She knew she was Rogue Cheney, a feared Dragon Slayer, but the thought of him not wanting to be seen with her made her incredibly sad.

"It's the other way around. Can you imagine what would happen if Fairy Tail saw you with me? What Natsu Dragneel, or Gajeel Redfox, or Laxus Dreyar, or Makarov, or even Wendy Marvell would do if they saw their friend with a Sabertooth mage?"

She didn't say it out loud, neither did he, but both knew exactly the answer to his question. The whole guild would probably declare war against Sabertooth, and it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Fairy Tail was known for bringing destruction whenever they went, and the more furious they were, the worse it was.

That wouldn't end well for either guild. The Magic Council would punish the both of them severely, and nothing really would come out of it.

"But you know, even if it weren't for that, I don't see harm in being seen with you. More specifically, I don't see anything wrong with it."

He chuckled mutely, none of them noting that the halls were empty.

"Do you get the nonsense you're saying?" Even though he said that, he couldn't help but smile briefly. The girl never ceased to amuse him, and he decided that he rather liked it.

She laughed quietly, and both fell into a comfortable silence. Taking a deep breath, he noted that she smelled like a mix of grass after the rain and jasmine, and decided that he rather liked that too.

A sudden shout of the crowd startled the two of them back to reality, and both left go of each other quickly. Curious, Sophia turned her head to the arena, trying to figure out what happened.

"Fairy Tail's Erza Scarlet is going to take all 100 monsters at once. Come, we're almost there." They took the last flight of stairs to a secured spot in the last level of the arena. They couldn't be easily seen, but had a clear view of the stadium.

She beamed at him when her sensitive ears could pick easily even the farthest conversation down there.

"How did you find this, Rogue?" He went to stand by her side, glancing briefly at the people cheering. Luckily neither Sabertooth nor Fairy Tail could see the both of them, so they could spend the next few hours up there without the fear of a mindless fight taking place.

"In one of the many occasions I wanted to get away from my guild mates. I found this on the first day of the games, actually. There's only so much one can take with Sting shrieking all the time." She laughed wholeheartedly.

"Ah." She suddenly stopped laughing and turned her full attention to the games below her. She then grinned, standing on her tip toes to try and get a better acoustic. "Erza won."

It was with a ridiculous amount of pride in her voice that she announced the obvious. It was a wonder how he could still hear her loud and clear with all the shouting.

"She did." He mumbled. He almost wished he was down there so he could show her that _he was strong too damnit. _But then he remembered he only came to Crocas to fight with Gajeel, and realized he had completely forgotten the true purpose of his escapade.

"Is Gajeel strong like that too?" She turned her head to him.

"Mhmm, maybe. As I told you, I only went to the guild once. But from what I could tell, he was pretty damn strong. I guess he's even stronger now, since I heard he trained very hard these last three months." Sophia then frowned, and in a quick movement removed her ballet flats. A second after that, she let out a contented sigh as she stretched out her feet.

Rogue only watched her amusedly until she finally remembered he was there and blushed a little.

"Sorry, it's just that I don't like wearing shoes very much. I feel the magic best with my feet." She could practically see the question mark above his head, so she explained. "Magic flows nonstop underneath the earth, Rogue. Each and every mage has a unique kind of magic, kinda like your DNA. Depending on the mage, magic can be hot or cold, slow or fast, light or heavy. I can't rely on my eyes, so my others senses are above average to compensate. My hearing and sense of touch are specially advanced. So if I concentrate and have no shoes on, I can perfectly feel the magic going and coming, as well as feel just how strong a nearby mage is.

"Let's take your magic as an example. You're the closest mage to me, so it's natural I'd feel your magic stronger than the others. However, there's much more to it than that. If I were to describe your kind of magic in one word, it'd be neutral. It's neither hot nor cold, neither slow nor fast, neither light nor heavy. It's like it's totally balanced. When you're calm, of course. Yesterday, when you saved me from that Raven Tail mage, I suddenly felt a pressure from your magic, as well as a cold, fast and light flow from it. The Raven Tail mage's magic was cold, but yours was much, much colder in a matter of milliseconds.

"Almost every mage is moved by emotions, either one wants it or not. I don't know if you'll like what I'm about to say, but you're no exception, Rogue. Right now your magic has taken a slightly cold flow, so I know you didn't like it. Even if I can't see your expression, I can feel how you feel by your magic. It's really useful, and I rarely wish I'd had eyes instead."

After Sophia finished, silence dominated the air around them. She knew he wasn't exactly pleased to be told by a hopeless blind girl that he, Rogue Cheney, the impassive Shadow Dragon Slayer, was driven by emotions.

So she left him by himself for as long as he needed, since she had an idea of what he was capable of and didn't want to suffer his wrath.

After a couple of minutes, she heard the young man sigh heavily as the flow of his magic returned to normal.

"You were the one who wanted to know." She said with a light laugh, not turning her head from the arena. So far almost all of the guilds had tested their strength, and she tucked away the information in the back of her mind for the future. One was never too cautious.

It was Cana's turn, and Sophia felt something different from the brunette. The flow of her magic seemed lighter, as well as warm, somehow. She wondered how would Gildarts's daughter go in this test.

"…you know a lot more than you let on, don't you?" She knew he was looking at her, but she still didn't turn to look at him. He was just a few inches away from her, and she didn't know if he wouldn't snap at her again.

She smiled, a very devious and Cheshire-like smile.

"Maybe."

Just then, a bright light engulfed the whole stadium as Cana casted Fairy Glitter, one of Fairy Tail's Great Spells. She then started clapping like crazy, smiling all the time.

As if sensing his gaze on her, she finally turned her head to her companion.

"What? I'm still cheering for Fairy Tail, you know." She laughed again, and he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

Suddenly he assumed a tense position and moved to stand in front of her, glaring at the new arrival. Rogue made it so his cape covered her almost completely as she poked her head out from his shoulder to feel better the new, menacing and dark flow of magic.

"So this is where you two are."

* * *

Soo, this is it. 10 pages of Rogue filled moments, just for you guys.

I wonder who interrupted their moment~? Then, here's a challenge for you guys! The one who guesses correctly who the person is will get a special prize. C: Depending on the answer, I might even change the person, if you're creative enough and have a good enough motive behind it.

The button below is waiting eagerly for you to click on it.


	5. Chapter 4

I'm not dead.

Okay?

Just saying.

It's been such a long time, have you guys missed me? (I know you just missed Rogue, but let me fantasize anyway.)

So, the person who guessed correctly was **Helekiller2**. Congratulations! You get to choose between a drawing of any Fairy Tail character or a oneshot. Of course, if you'd like anything else, you can always tell me. C;

What do you guys think? Should I do this once more? Should I write a cliffy and the person who guesses correctly what happens next gets a prize? Do tell me~

**Thank you all for the reviews and the support, all of you have been great. Seriously, I love you.**

I especially love **tenshi-no-akuma-81**, who has been telling me all the wrongs in the story. Thanks to that, I've been able to write much better.

I guess my story would be kind of shoujo, then? The naïve female protagonist, the dark and handsome male protagonist, the over protective friends of the FP and the antagonist friend of the MP.

HOLY CUPCAKE, IT REALLY IS A SHOUJO STORY HSGAFDHASGFDHGASD

Forgive me guys, that wasn't my intention at all. I was simply writing to my heart's content. But of course, if you still like it you're more than welcome to keep on reading it. C:

**Let me correct a mistake**: in the last chapter, I wrote that it was the third and last day of the games. It's not. I don't know why, but I seriously thought that the third day was the last. Sorry, guys.

**One more thing.**

I officially hate Sabertooth (except for my Rogue cutie, obviously) and I hope they all go bald and burn in hell. I wasn't very fond of them at the beginning, and now I just loathe them after the latest chapters of the manga.

Therefore, there'll be quite a lot of hate for them on my part. I'll try not to make it into bashing, but if I do, tell me.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, only my OC.

* * *

Rogue instantly went stiff as he glared at the new arrival. His shoulders were tense as he did his best to hide Sophia from the threatening magic.

"What is it to you, Minerva?" His icy voice had a menacing tone underneath it, but it didn't seem to faze the young woman in the slightest. Instead of cowering in fear as most would do, she chuckled.

"Now, now. There is no need to be like this, Rogue. I was merely wondering where you have you been all day long yesterday _and_ today. And of course I'd be curious about the little fairy you're hiding." She crossed her arms, a smug yet calculating expression on her face.

"What do you want?" The flow of his magic, Sophia worriedly noticed, was getting colder and faster by the second, which meant he was getting angry, and fast. She gripped his cape with both hands, trying to tell him to calm down. He relaxed slightly under her touch, but not enough. He was still angry.

Minerva hmph-ed, uncrossing her arms and resting her left hand on her hip.

"Here's a warning. Enjoy the little time you two have got left. If it continues like this, it won't be long before either Sabertooth or Fairy Tail discovers your little secret. Just keep in mind that you've got to fix this soon, Rogue, before my father finds out. I'm guessing he won't be exactly thrilled with one of his best mages hanging out with a fairy." She turned around to leave, but changed her mind and spoke directly to Sophia.

"Take care, little fairy. You never know what's going to happen." As soon as the words left her lips, she was gone in a flash, leaving the pair to wonder what exactly had happened.

After a few seconds, the blonde's quiet voice rang throughout the arena's last and empty floor.

"Rogue?" His magic had returned to normal, but that didn't exactly mean his temper had done the same. After he heaved a long sigh, he replied, neither moving from their position.

"Yeah?"

"Who was that?" He turned around to face her as she let her hands drop. None of them paid attention to the cheering crowd as she felt his shadow loom over her.

"Minerva. Master Jiemma's daughter."

"Is she your friend?"

"No."

She couldn't help but be relieved that he said it with such conviction. Why, she wouldn't know.

Sophia had been utterly confused at this Minerva's behavior. At first glance, her magic was mockingly easy-going, but it could soon turn into a cold and menacing flow.

And she didn't like that.

At all.

She felt uneasy when Minerva unleashed a little bit of her magic to prove her point, and thought that that woman had far too much magical power on her hands.

"…ia? Sophia." She looked up startled at Rogue's voice, coming out of whatever haze she had been in.

"Huh? Oh, yes, sorry, what did you say?" He said nothing as he put both his hands on her tiny shoulders to spin her around back to the arena.

"It's Laxus Dreyar's turn now." His low voice rumbled deep from his chest as he slightly bent down to whisper in her ear.

The blonde girl couldn't help but blush at their proximity, though she did her best to hide it. Faster than she thought possible, the blind girl went to grip the railing with both her hands, breaking their contact. The crimson-eyed young man only stared at her weirdly, wondering if it was something he said.

However, no training could've prepared him for what was about to happen.

The petite girl filled her lungs with air and shouted with all her might as soon as she felt Laxus's magic coming from the arena.

"Do your best, Laxus!" For a short moment, the blonde man looked up at the voice of his name being called. To his surprise, he saw a blur of blue waving frantically at him. He sent a slight smirk her way and turned his attention back to his opponent, briefly wondering just what in the seven fucks Sophia was doing all the way up there.

Rogue, on the other hand, stood frozen in the spot. As soon as he saw the Lightning Dragon Slayer turn his attention elsewhere, he quickly put his right arm around the girl from behind as his left hand came to block any more sound from her mouth.

He retreated back to the shadows of a nearby pillar, tiredly sliding down of said pillar until both were seated, with her between his legs.

The dark teen heaved a sigh before turning his sharp eyes to the girl in front of him, who had a sheepish look on her face.

"Really, what were you thinking? What if someone saw us?" It came out harsher than he had intended it to, but he needed to get his point across.

She fiddled with her fingers as she looked down, looking sincerely apologetic. Rogue released her mouth after feeling her lips move against his palm and let his arm drop by his side.

"Sorry. Fairy Tail's going well, and I got a little excited."_ 'And I didn't know what to do when you were so close.'_, but she wouldn't tell him that, of course. Even she didn't understand her own feelings, what good would it do if she told him?

When he didn't answer, she turned her head to ask him what was wrong, but stopped when her cheek collided with a gloved finger.

"Wha-"

"It doesn't sound to me like you're really sorry." It was a lie, he knew it. But it wouldn't hurt to tease her a bit, now would it?

"But I am! Rogue-" The tone of her voice became frantic as she desperately thought of a way to make him believe her.

"You should reflect on your actions, young lady. Do you have any idea of how much trouble we'd both be in?" She jumped when both his hands came to pinch her cheeks, making her put her own hands over his.

"I' showy-" She stopped talking when she heard the dark haired teen chuckle lowly, and she could imagine just fine an amusing smirk on his face.

"What the- Rogue!" His arms wrapped around her protectively, as if she'd pull another stunt like that if he didn't prevent it.

"My bad. I was just teasing you."

"I can't believe this! I really thought you were angry with me!"

"And what makes you think I wasn't?"

"…but you're not anymore, right?"

"Maybe. That was dangerous."

"…sorry."

"It's fine now. Something would've happened already if someone saw you."

"…"

"Oi. Stop pouting."

"…I'm not pouting."

"Uh-huh."

It was transparent obvious that she was pouting. She had a slight blush on her face as her cheeks puffed.

'_Cute_.'

No.

Wait.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. WAIT.

He did _not_ just think that.

There's no way.

He's Rogue Cheney. He and words like 'cute' don't mix at all.

Of course, one look at her face and he'd be thinking otherwise.

"Rogue? What's wrong? Are you unwell?" Her voice portrayed the worry on her face as she turned her face around to blindly search for him.

"I'm fine. Rather than me, you should worry about Laxus Dreyar. Looks like the fight's not going well." Sophia was up in an instant and went to see the battle, while he calmly stood up, rubbing his temples.

"Rogue?"

"Yeah?" He came to stand beside her as he surveyed the situation. The Lightning Dragon Slayer was clearly getting his ass beaten by the Raven Tail mage, but he felt as if there was something fishy about it. Narrowing his eyes, he came to the conclusion that he was quite disappointed in the Dragon Slayer.

"Laxus is not fighting with just Alexei, is he?" He turned to look at her, finding a frown on her face.

"Of course he is. It's the rules. He's losing, though." He saw her frown deepen as she gripped the railing so hard her knuckles turned white. "Sophia?"

"No, something's wrong. All five members of Raven Tail are in the arena fighting. Furthermore, Laxus's defeating them all, really fast." It was his turn to frown as he turned his crimson orbs back to the battle. All he could see was the Fairy Tail mage losing badly. Just what in the seven hells was wrong?

Suddenly, Master Iwan came flying out of nowhere, dispersing what seemed to be an illusion. Silently, Laxus straightened up, while all five members of Raven Tail laid defeated on the ground.

The people all over the place cheered loudly as the blonde girl smiled, relieved.

"Regardless of what's happened, the winner… is Laxus from Fairy Tail B!"

* * *

"What're you smiling about, Orga?" The mage looked at Sting, who had spoken to him.

"Heh. I can't wait to crush that Laxus guy. We couldn't see how he took out those guys, but he must be darn strong." His smirk widened as he answered, making the White Dragon Slayer smirk too.

"Those fairies are full of surprises, huh?" All three heads of the Sabertooth mages turned to look at Minerva, who had spoken. The air around her suddenly darkened as she grinned. "It'll be fun, crushing those little, sparkling wings along with their hope and pride."

Sting barked a laugh.

"I can't wait!" The blue-eyed man grinned maniacally, his hands twitching.

"Where's Rogue, by the way? He's been distant. More than usual." Rufus said as he looked around, scratching the back of his head.

Minerva's smirk widened as she crossed her arms.

"I do wonder about that. Maybe the tiger is hanging around a fairy?" Sting's neck snapped so fast Orga was sure he'd heard something break.

"What?" It came in a low growl as his hands turned into fists. The only female Sabertooth mage present turned to look at him with a smug expression.

"We'd better be careful. We never know when the fairy just might stab the tiger in the back." The White Dragon Slayer all but stomped away from them, apparently not paying attention that the Sky Dragon Slayer was fighting next.

Orga turned to the black-haired woman with a calculating expression on his face, as if he wasn't sure if he was going to ask what he thought he would.

"Minerva, what are you planning?"

Said woman looked at him with a cold smile, freezing both his and Rufus' insides.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

* * *

"Wendy!" To say that Sophia was panicking was the understatement of the year. In fact, she looked ready to rip her hair out, if you asked Rogue.

But alas, he was silently watching the fight with his poker face on, so we don't really know what's going on his head.

"Sophia, calm down. I'm sure the Sky Dragon Slayer will be fine." She turned her head in his direction, biting her lower lip.

"I can't possibly calm down in a situation like this, Rogue. I know Wendy's strong, but I never imagined she could be overpowered like this!" His eyes briefly went to her tiny fists, gripping the railing so hard they were trembling. He silently put his larger, gloved hand over his and started to rub soothing circles in her hand with his thumb.

"Try to relax. If you know she's strong, have a little more faith in her." Her stance relaxed lightly, but she didn't free her lower lip from her teeth.

Sighing, the dark haired man reached with his unoccupied thumb, touching her trembling lip slightly.

"Hurting yourself will do no good."

The blonde nodded, turning her attention back to the fight.

She knew Wendy was strong. She remembered the one time she went to the guild, and was left speechless at the tiny girl's power. Sophia honestly believed she'd be able to do great things in the future, so why was she getting beaten up so badly?

Things then weren't looking as bad as she once thought. The judges announced a draw as she sighed, relieved. A smile easily found its way to her face when she saw the two girls becoming quick friends.

A sudden pressure made her gasp slightly as she tried to prevent herself from falling on her knees. The Shadow Dragon Slayer quickly grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close to his chest as she fought to breathe normally. Grabbing his cape with both hands, he covered her with the dark cloth, much like he had done the night before. Making sure she was, at least, out of harm's way, he turned to look at the one who caused the blind girl so much distress.

"Stop it, Sting." His voice was much, much colder than Sophia thought it was possible. In a way, it was completely different from when Minerva had showed up, because the woman hadn't caused her any harm.

She looked up, her moon white eyes wide. She meant to tell Rogue that she was fine, but did the complete opposite when she coughed a couple of times because of the amount of magic.

"_Sting._" All visible shadows shifted and bended to his will, looming dangerously close to the White Dragon Slayer.

As sudden as it came, the magic pressure was gone, leaving Sophia to gasp quietly. Trying to cover her up as much as possible, he glared full force at his partner, not moving from his position nor allowing his shadows to do so.

"Tch. Seriously, what the hell, Rogue?" Sting was angry, that much even a blind person like her could see. She hated to admit it, but never once in her life had she been so scared. The flow of his magic, ice cold and heavy, had a killing intent much stronger than she had ever felt before. "I take my eyes off you for a couple of days and find you all over a disgusting fairy?"

"Watch how you speak to us. I won't think twice if you pull another trick like that, bastard." As if to prove his point, his shadows came just an inch closer to the blue-eyed teen, but the threat was clear.

Sting tsk-ed as he narrowed his eyes.

"You think I'm scared of you, huh? Think again, asshole! I can easily beat the crap outta you before you realize it!"

"Why are you here, Sting?" Rogue too narrowed his eyes as he hugged Sophia tighter.

"I came to knock some sense into you, since you obviously don't have any!" Inside Rogue's mind, something finally snapped as he raised his voice.

"You're not my mother, Sting! I do whatever the hell I want with my life! Neither you, nor Minerva, nor anyone has the right to tell me what to do!" Sophia flinched lightly as searched blindly for the man who had made silent, cool and collected Rogue lose his temper like that.

"Don't forget who and what you are, Rogue! You're a dragon slayer from the strongest guild in Fiore, for God's sake! Think a little about others, will ya?"

"I've had enough of thinking about others! Sabertooth this, Sabertooth that, reputation this, Master Jiemma that, I'm tired of it! I refuse to live all my life thinking about a guild who doesn't think twice about humiliating and expelling a guild member!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Yukino was weak and got what she deserved! Sabertooth has no place for weaklings!"

"She was a comrade!"

Sting's hands turned into fists as he growled low.

"Fine. Then I'll just have to knock some sense into you by force!" Sophia's blind eyes widened as her breath got stuck in her throat.

"NO!" Everything stopped as her normally quiet voice rang throughout the almost empty space. Sting, who was about to launch a dragon attack, stopped as he felt an invisible force making him drop the offensive stance. The shadows, which were a mere inches from Sting, went quickly back to their places, as their bender looked surprised at Sophia.

"What the- What the fuck is happening?" Ignoring the White Dragon Slayer's frantic shouts, he looked deep into her endless pale eyes, gently brushing hair out of her face.

"Sophie?" The nickname came out unexpectedly sweet and quiet as he furrowed his eyebrows. That couldn't have been Sophia, could it?

Startled, he could only watch in wonder as she slowly lifted her head, gently detaching herself from his arms. Turning to Sting with a look of defiance, she stood directly in front of him, as he stood frozen in the spot.

"I won't allow you to hurt Rogue. He has been nothing but kind to me, and I can't let you talk about him in such a way."

"I-Is it you that's doing this? Bullshit! Let me go, now!" He struggled under the invisible force's pressure, gritting his teeth together. His anger only flared up higher when he saw the petite girl shake her head.

"I can't do that. You'll hurt him as soon as I do that."

"Why you little-"

"Things have sure turned interesting."

Rogue almost groaned at yet another unexpected arrival, just as he was thinking that things couldn't get any worse.

'Who now?'

* * *

Another challenge for you guys! The rules are the same. Whoever guesses who the mysterious person is, will get a prize. And if your answer is interesting enough, I might change the flow of events.

Please take note of how easy it is to review now.


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